Finding into death of SG
Deceased
SG
Demographics
4y, male
Date of death
2012-01-06
Finding date
2012-10-09
Cause of death
Head injuries sustained from a falling piece of farm machinery (hay bale spike)
AI-generated summary
A 4-year-old boy died from head injuries sustained when a 150kg hay bale spike attachment fell backward on him while he was climbing on it at a farm in Kerang. His father had moved him away from active machinery, but the child returned to the unattended implement. Emergency resuscitation at Kerang Base Hospital was unsuccessful. The coroner found the death was an unforeseeable misadventure in circumstances where prevention was not reasonably expected at the time. WorkSafe and police investigations identified no criminal culpability. Recommendations focused on farm safety education for children, hazard alerts regarding farm implements, and revisiting the Farmsafe youth safety program. This case illustrates the unpredictable nature of childhood accidents in farm environments and the importance of ongoing safety education.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- Child climbing on unattended farm implement
- Unbalanced free-standing hay bale spike
- Inadequate supervision in farm environment
- Child returned to area despite initial removal from hazard
Coroner's recommendations
- Publish specific guidance material targeting hazards and risks associated with children and young persons on farms
- Publish appropriate alerts regarding hazards and risks associated with children being near tractor implements and free-standing farm implements or attachments
- Revisit the Farmsafe programme which concentrated on young persons in the rural and farming environment
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